Now that the Big Ten Conference race is settled, all three teams: the Wisconsin Badgers, Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State Spartans finished 11-1, 7-1 in conference. Yet due to the jumbled and twisted logic of the BCS (Beyond Common Sense) one of those teams will be denied a BCS Bowl payout, while the other two get in.
That will likely be MSU, who right now is learning just how costly their pathetic showing at Kinnick Stadium last month truly is. Getting utterly waxed by a mediocre, 7-5 Iowa Hawkeyes team will cost the first Spartans team to win the Big Ten since 1990, and the first 11 win team in school history, a BCS bid.
“On the Banks of the Red Cedar there’s a school that’s known to all, having misfortune in 2010 is their specialty, those Spartans must visit Jacksonville to bowl.”
By Paul M. Banks
When it comes to unlucky Michigan State sports moments this year, it’s easy to compare this bad break to the foul that was blatant but never called on Draymond Green by Butler’s Gordon Hayward on the final offensive possession of the Final Four game. But’s that not a fair comparison.
MSU did this to themselves by not showing up in Iowa City, and that’s going to be a tough pill to swallow when you see Wisconsin ascend to #4 or #5 in the BCS standings tonight, and you know that State beat them, and finishes with the same exact record.
But enough negativity, the Spartans accomplished a lot this year, including:
-seventh Big Ten title in school history (1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987, 1990, 2010).
-all-time winningest team in program history with 11 wins. The Spartans won 10 games in 1965 and 1999.
-first victory at Beaver Stadium since a 23-0 victory in 1965, snapping an eight-game losing streak, and wins its first game in State College since Joe Paterno took over as Penn State’s head coach.
-the first time MSU has won seven Big Ten games since going 7-0-1 in 1987. MSU has won seven Big Ten games five times in program history (7-0 in 1965, 7-0 in 1966, 7-1 in 1978, 7-0-1 in 1987, 7-1 in 2010)
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest webzine. He’s also a regular contributor to the Tribune’s Chicago Now network, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank
He also does a regular guest spot each week for Chicagoland Sports Radio.com